Airbus Activates Plan B for A350 XWB Batteries

Airbus has said it is confident that the lithium ion (Li-ion) main battery architecture it has been developing with Saft and qualifying for the A350 XWB aircraft is robust and safe, and as such the A350 XWB flight test programme will continue as planned with the qualified Li-ion main batteries.

However, as the root causes of the two recent industry Li-ion main batteries incidents remain unexplained, Airbus has decided to activate its “Plan B”, and revert back to the proven and mastered nickel cadmium main batteries for its A350 XWB programme at Entry into Service (EIS).

Airbus has also launched additional maturity studies on Li-ion main batteries behavior in aerospace operations.

Airbus said it does not expect this decision to impact the A350 XWB Entry Into Service schedule.